MARO
MARO's whole pitch is the waistband. The industry-standard trick is to label a pair "100% cotton (exclusive of trim)" while the covered waistband is spandex and polyester riding against the skin all day. MARO instead knits its band from organic cotton and natural rubber, so the pair is plastic-free end to end - the men's analog to the natural-rubber-band approach The Very Good Bra uses in women's underwear. Natural rubber is a latex, which is the one caveat.
The socks are a step down and the brand says so plainly: 5% spandex, stated as the minimum needed for fit and completely enclosed in the surrounding cotton or wool, so plastic is in the yarn but not against the foot. What it does get right there is the number that usually goes unmentioned - its merino socks carry no nylon or polyester at all, where the category standard is a third to nearly half nylon by weight.
How clear are their specs?
States the body is 100% GOTS organic cotton and the waistband is 60% organic cotton / 40% natural rubber, covered in organic cotton, with OEKO-TEX dyes.
Products we list
100% Plastic-Free Organic Cotton Boxers
100% GOTS organic cotton body with a natural-rubber-and-cotton waistband instead of elastane - the men's answer to a genuinely plastic-free waistband. Natural rubber is a latex.
Merino Wool Everyday Toe Socks
80% Australian merino with organic cotton and 5% enclosed spandex - a wool sock that isn't cut with a third nylon, which is the norm in the category.
Organic Cotton Everyday Toe Socks
95% GOTS organic cotton toe socks whose 5% spandex is fully enclosed in cotton, so nothing synthetic reaches your foot - the natural-fiber answer to Injinji.
Organic Cotton Grip Toe Socks
The everyday organic cotton toe sock with silicone grip dots on the sole - a yoga/pilates sock whose grip isn't PVC and whose fabric isn't polyester.